Alcohol use and falls among the elderly in Metropolitan São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

The objectives of this study are to identify the pattern of alcohol use among the elderly and to analyze its association with falls. A populationbased survey was conducted in a sample of Metropolitan São Paulo, Brazil, using IntroductionRecently, the number of people aged over 60 has markedly increased in many parts of the world, particularly in low-and middle-income countries 1 . In Brazil, it is estimated that by the year 2050 almost 20% of the population will be over 65 years of age 2 , with a significant impact on financing the national health system 3 .Although alcohol consumption is usually lower among the elderly when compared to younger subjects, its negative consequences can be higher, due to age-related physiological changes. The elderly have increased body fat and a reduction of the body non-fat mass and water, as well as a decrease in hepatic metabolism 4 . As a consequence, alcohol blood levels increase and the elderly start to undergo adverse consequences of alcohol ingestion even without increasing consumption 4 . Another important problem is related to the fact that a considerable proportion of the elderly population is under some form of medication with potential interactions with alcohol. Paskulin & Viana 5 studied elderly people in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, and observed that only 23% of the sample did not use any medication. The differences between young adults and the elderly are so marked that it has been suggested that the latter should drink no more than only one drink per day, if there are no absolute contraindications due to the presence of some disease or use of medication 6 . In spi-ARTIGO ARTICLE

Alcohol Use among Older Adults: SABE Cohort Study, São Paulo, Brazil

“…The longitudinal evaluation of alcohol intake revealed that both individuals who reported higher consumption or stable more than once a week consumption were mainly between 60 and 64 years of age, with a significant difference in relation to the frequencies found in individuals aged 75 years or older [6], [8]. These findings are similar to those described in other studies on alcohol use in the city of São Paulo, which report a decline in the occurrence of problems related to substance use in older cohorts [16], [17], [25], [26]. Moore et al (2005) reports a similar observation with regard to older Americans [8].…”

“…Little is known regarding the frequency of alcohol consumption among the elderly in Brazil, or how these individuals change their alcohol intake over time [16], [17]. Thus, the aims of the present study were to 1) describe the frequency of alcohol intake in the previous three months in a representative sample of older adults in the city of São Paulo in the year 2000, 2) determine associations with socio-demographic and health-related factors, and 3) analyze possible changes in the frequency of alcohol intake after a six-year follow-up period in comparison to baseline and the associations of baseline characteristics with the increase of alcohol consumption among the elderly.…”

Alcohol screening instruments in elderly male: a population-based survey in metropolitan São Paulo, Brazil

“…3 In a Brazilian study, drinking five or more drinks per day was associated with falls, an important concern in elderly people. 4 Men aged ≥ 65 with a history of five years or more of heavy drinking at some time in their lives had an almost six-fold higher risk of suffering from psychiatric disorders. 5 The risk of depression was almost four times as high and that of dementia was almost five times as high as that of individuals with no such history.…”

Health and socioeconomic status of the elderly people living in Hilly areas of Pakhribas, Kosi Zone, Nepal

“…[373839] However, various studies conflicting this show that mild to moderate use actually prevents the cognitive and functional decline. [404142] Out the total, 60% of the respondents were current or former smokers.…”